


Easier To Forget

by MadGirl_SpaceGirl_StarGirl



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Child Abuse, Coming Out, Drinking, Drugs, F/M, Gay Male Character, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I have an unhealthy obsession with SVU, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Prostitution, Rafael Barba is my dream, Sexual Assault, Sonny Carisi is a pure cinnamon roll, Underage Prostitution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-23 11:06:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19700041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadGirl_SpaceGirl_StarGirl/pseuds/MadGirl_SpaceGirl_StarGirl
Summary: When a teenage girl is found beaten within an inch of her life, the Special Victims Unit is called.The case that follows will risk the lives not only of the victims in the case but will drag one of their own into danger.Sonny Carisi wears half of his heart on his sleeve and so everyone knows that this case? This case is getting to him.Will his team be able to protect him and safe the life of a girl forgotten and forsaken by the world?(Sorry for crap summary, i swear the actual story is better x)





	1. Gun Carrying Guardian Angel

"Olivia! Got a live one, you and Elliot are up."

Cragen's voice came from the door to his office and Olivia lifted her head from where she had been filling out paperwork. She was already in motion, grabbing her jacket and gun as she asked

"Where?"

"A clinic on West 63rd. But you're not goin' there, Fin and Carisi are. Get Stabler, head to Bellevue the vic's there. Girl, 14, assaulted. Go, now."

"On it" was her response as she headed to the door meeting Elliot who was walking the opposite way carrying to cups of coffee.

"Turn around" she said as he frowned at her in confusion, taking one cup from his hand "It's coffee to go this morning. We gotta get to the hospital, I'll fill you in on the way."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"How is she?" Olivia asked the doctor as she, the doctor and Elliot walked through a set of double doors and down another hospital corridor.

"Not good, it was close but she'll live. Broken ribs punctured her right lung, arm fractures, wrist fractures, facial bruising and several deep cuts along her abdomen."

"Sexual assault?" asked Elliot his face as grim as it ever was.

"I believe so."

"You believe so?"

Sighing the doctor stopped and he turned to face the two detectives.

"She's traumatised. The nurses approached her about a rape kit and she almost went catatonic. She's not talking, won't give us consent to examine her for sexual assault, she barely let us treat her injuries and she was partially sedated at the time."

"Wait doc slow down. What do you mean partially?" said Elliot.

"They must have sedated her at the clinic and the effects began to wear off by the time she reached here."

"You mean she received medical attention before she came to the hospital?" asked Olivia and the doctor nodded.

"The ambulance picked her up from the clinic, they were already working on her when the paramedics arrived."  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Grace and Mercy Clinic – West 63rd street 

"You the first on the scene?" asked Fin as he and Carisi approached a uniformed officer who was writing something in his notebook.

"Yeah. Officer Adam Craster, my partner, Officer Tailor is with CSU."

"Give us the run down. The hell happened here?" asked Fin, putting his hands in his pockets as the cold New York wind blew down the street.

"Easier to show you. How it started anyway."

"CCTV caught the whole thing" said Officer Craster as he showed Carisi and Fin into an office inside the clinic. When they were both inside he pressed play on the monitor in front of them.

"Dr Max Linden runs the clinic, he arrived at 6:45am."

They watched as the man who must be Linden walk into the main waiting room.

"Perp must have been waiting for him outside because about thirty seconds after he gets in…" Craster tailed off as Fin and Carisi watched the scene unfold.

The Doctor was checking his phone when a noise they couldn't hear made him turn to look at something out of view of the camera. Not out of view for long though as a hooded figure a lot smaller than the doctor, and with a scarf around their face came storming into view a gun aimed right at the doctors head.

"Doc surrenders, straight away they go back out the front" Craster paused as the doctor and the figure disappeared for a few moments "then this happens."

"Well that was unexpected" said Carisi, eyebrows raised.

"Bang goes my drug addict looking to score theory." Fin agreed.

The CCTV footage showed the doctor and the unknown figure reappeared but now the doctor was carrying a limp figure while the hooded perp kept the gun trained on him.

A girl.

Young.

Seemingly unconscious.

Craster paused the tape.

"They go back to exam room one and the camera looses them." He said.

"We need to talk to the Doc"

"He's through here."

The trio of cops walked through the hall into the waiting room where the doctor was sat talking to a female officer who Munch guessed was Craster's partner officer Tailor. Dr Linden must have been in his late forties to early fifties, with short cropped blonde hair and an athletic build. He stood up when Fin and Carisi approached.

"Dr Linden. 'm Detective Tutuola this is Detective Carisi with Special Victims Unit. Think you can walk us through what happened after you ended up in the exam room."

"I arrived early, I had some paper work to catch up on. I saw her outside but she was alone. She must have caught the door before the automatic lock engaged and come in behind me."

"Perp was female?"

"Definitely. She tried to hide it, lowered her voice and covered her face but it was definitely a girl. Young too, probably not much older than the patient. She made me go outside to the alley and that was when I saw the younger girl. The girl with the gun told me to take her inside and treat her. So I did. But she needed treatment beyond what I can do here. I told the older one that and she told me to call an ambulance and then she took off."

Fin gave the doctor a curious look.

"Don't mind me sayin' Doc, but you seem awful calm bout this."

"I was an army medic for three years. Guess I deal with stress better as a civilian than I do as a soldier."

At the questioning look from the Detectives the doctor explained

"I was discharged. Post Traumatic Stress. Mostly sound related, nightmares and flashbacks about missions and field surgeries that went bad. Couldn't hold my nerve in the field anymore. Guns don't scare me too much, I uh, I guess that's why I'm reasonably calm. Training and therapy combination, guess it did me some good after all."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about the girl with the gun. Anything about what she looked like or did she say anything else?"

"Only what I told Officer Tailor here. From what I could tell from her face and her voice she was Hispanic. Young. Wore black jeans and boots, grey hoodie. I uh, I'm afraid I cant tell you what kind of gun it was. Um, to be perfectly honest I tried not to look at it, didn't want to lose my head."

"Don't worry about that, our guys should be able to give us a basic idea when they see the footage." Carisi supplied.

As Carisi and Fin turned to leave, Linden called

"She called the younger girl Marls. Maybe short for Marley or Marlene?"

"Thanks Doc." Said Carisi.

"Detectives?"

Carisi and Fin turned once more just as they reached the door and the Doctor said with absolute surety

"She did something wrong I get that. But if she hadn't gotten her friend basic treatment when she did that girl – Marls – would have died. I think she was doing what she thought was best. I just thought you should know that."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"What have you got Fin?" Olivia asked as she stood in a corridor around the corner from the young girls room. Elliot had stepped away and was talking more to the girl's attending doctor when her phone had rung.

"Girl forces her way in, makes the Doc treat her friend at gunpoint. When he can't do any more she tells him to call an ambulance and runs off." Fin said down the phone before he sighed a little "Liv something just don't feel right about this. Half of me thinks our gun carryin' guardian was the one who beat the hell out of our vic."

"Well you could be right. We still don't know if she was raped but my money is on yes. If so, it's possible that our gun girl carried out the assault after the rape but…"

"But you just don't see it" Fin finished her sentence and Liv smiled to herself and it showed in her voice when she answered

"Mind reader" then the smile fell "But seriously Fin, the doctor said this girl was beat within an inch of her life and it was with the perp's bare hands. I'd want to check with Warner but doctor says based on his experience the strength required, it'd have to be a man or body building woman and-"

"And not some tiny ass skinny girl."

"Are you going to let me finish any of my own sentences today?"

"Not a chance Liv."

She couldn't help but smile a little again. Looking up, Olivia saw Elliot walking towards her with a grim look on his face.

"Gotta go Fin."

Olivia hung up and turned to face her partner who said in a voice that was full of false calm

"This guy really did a number on her. Doctor Anders over there thinks she's lucky to be alive."

"Any personal effects with her?"

"None. No ID, nothin' to tell us who she is."

Olivia opened her mouth to respond but paused when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Fin.

Girl called the vic Marls. Doc said it could have been Marley or Marlene?"

"She awake?" she asked as she put her phone away.

"Came round five minutes ago. Doctor says we can talk to her but tread carefully." Elliot answered and Olivia couldn't help but tease him a little by saying

"Well we all know treading carefully is your specialty El. We got a name. Partial name anyway."

Smirking at the look he shot her Olivia stepped round him and started walking, saying over her shoulder

"Come on then. Let's go talk to Marls."


	2. And He Didn't Know Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olivia and Elliot interview meet "Marls" for the first time.   
> Carisi gets some news that shakes him up more than he thought it would.

The second Elliot opened the door, there was a scuffling sound and then a small bundle of red hair and bandages collided with his chest as the girl, 'Marls' made a break for the open door.

"Woah woah woah! Hey, hey easy, take it easy!" He said "No one's gonna hurt you, but you're gonna hurt yourself if you don't- hey calm down, calm down!"

But his attempt at soothing words did no good.

"Let me go, let me out PLEASE! I have to go, I have to get out! Let me out!"

Realising that struggling against the much bigger and stronger man was hopeless, the small girl fled to the corner of the room and cowered in the corner. Her back pressed to the wall, arms wrapped round her knees and green eyes watching the two Detectives wide eyed.

Olivia stepped forwards and put a hand on Elliot's chest, gesturing for him to take a step back. Then, she crouched down a few metres away so that she was far enough not to spook the girl but wasn't standing over her either.

"Hey" She said kindly "My name's Olivia. A friend of mine said that some people call you Marls? Is that right? What's that short for?"

She was met with silence.

"What's your name sweetheart?" Olivia prompted again.

More silence.

Until…

"Marlene" came the quiet answer.

"Marlene. That's a nice name. Like I said I'm Olivia, this is Elliot."

Elliot smiled as softly as he could as Olivia continued

"Marlene do you think it would be alright if we talk to you for a little bit."

" m'not supposed to talk to cops. Trey said you'll lock me up." Marlene sounded like she didn't believe her own sentence, like the words were not her own and both the detectives noticed it. It sounded rehearsed.

"Marlene I promise no one is going to lock you up ok? We just want to talk about what happened this morning." Elliot spoke up assuredly.

The young redhead looked intently from Olivia to Elliot before taking a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay. Okay come on out sweetie. Let's talk."  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Mornin' fellas"

"Kate Cauley, if it ain't my favourite tech dweeb!" grinned Carisi as the woman he had named mock saluted him and Fin as they entered the squad room.

Kate Cauley was relatively new to TARU but she had made quite the impact on her first case with the SVU team, providing the critical evidence to secure a conviction and being an almost scarily quick witted person. She got along with everyone and she and Carisi had an ongoing prank war, in which she had one the last round by filling the vents in his car with glitter, so that when he had pressed the button in order to get hot air blowing round his car he had been covered in a deluge of glitter.

Pushing her thin wire framed glasses up her small, slightly upturned nose Kate beckoned two detectives over.

"What you got for us Cauley?" asked Fin as they approached the small woman.

"Depends. If I say I have an ID on your shooter are one of you gonna buy me a drink?"

"Cauley if you can ID her I'll buy you a bar" Carisi said with a smirk and Kate laughed, pushing her shoulder length blonde hair out of her face, her green eyes twinkling.

"I'll hold you to that Carisi" she warned before pressing a key on her keyboard and a CCTV still image came up on a screen.

"We tracked your girl using CCTV after she left the clinic. Guess she thought she got far enough away because six blocks away she took that thing off her face and bam!"

She zoomed into the screengrab to reveal a slightly blurry image of a scared looking girl. It was hard to tell much because the picture was in black and white, except that the girl had long dark hair.

"So there's our mystery girl" Said Fin before looking at Kate "So who is she?"

"Ran her through facial rec and got a hit in an old case" Kate swiped across the screen and another photo appeared next to the CCTV image. It was definitely the same girl, though she was a good few years younger.

"Meet Rielle Garner, eighteen years old. You guys first met her when she was fifteen and-"

"Hold up, we met her?" asked Fin and Kate nodded.

"Well not you. Staten Island. She was arrested at the scene of an assault back in 2015. John went after a hooker, so the pimp went after the John and it got messy, but no charges were brought in the end, the A.D.A just made it go away after neither side would cooperate." Explain Kate emphasising the word messy. "They found Miss Garner locked in the back of the pimp's car."

"And they arrested her for it?"

"No they arrested her after the cops let her out and she punched the responding officer in the face when they tried to take her in for interview."

Another picture appeared of a male cop with a bloody lip and nose.

"Damn. She packs a punch." Muttered Carisi raising his eyebrows.

"No charges were brought against her and she disappeared before social services could get a hold of her." Fin read off the screen. "Bet you money she ran straight back to whatever scumbag pimp had her in his car."

"That name…" Carisi said almost to himself "I think…I need to make a call but I think I might have come across her before…"

"Carisi…" Kate said slowly but she stopped like she wasn't sure if she should continue "Carisi you have met her before. You were one of the ones who interviewed her."

"Wait what?" Carisi looked at Kate, brow furrowed.

"Your name's in the file Sonny" Kate said softly and Carisi blinked.

"Right. Uh, I uh, I'll make a call, see if Staten Island SVU has any details about the case. Yeah I- yeah"

And with that Carisi hurried from the room, his brow furrowed.

Fin and Kate watched him go, before Fin turned to the younger woman and said

"You ever seen him act like that?"  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sonny Carisi felt more shaken than he had in a long time.

And he had no idea why.

All that had happened was that he had forgotten a one off encounter with a girl three years ago. He had dealt with so many cases both before and after that had happened, there was no way he could remember them all in immense detail.

And yet...

And yet the fact he had forgotten this girl left a sour taste in his mouth and a heavy feeling in his stomach.

And he didn't know why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few more chapters and my favourite character shall appear.   
> Sorry it's short.   
> More soon.   
> Geronimo xx


	3. Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliot and Olivia hear Marlene's harrowing story.   
> Fin and Carisi get put on Rielle duty and Fin has some words of advice for Carisi.

"So Marlene, do you think you can walk us through what happened this morning?"

Marlene was now sat back in bed and was twisting the hospital blanket around her fingers.

"I-I don't really remember a lot of it." She mumbled and Olivia sat on the edge of the bed.

"Just go through it slowly. We're gonna be here the whole time ok, we'll help you."

"Uncle J got mad. Amber ratted me out so she'd get privileges. Bitch." Mumbled Marlene and Elliot almost laughed at the way she looked guiltily at Olivia after calling this unknown Amber a bitch.

"Ok. What did Amber rat you out about?"

"There was a guy" Marlene said a little shyly, tucking a strand of flaming hair behind her left ear "A-a client- but-but he wasn't like the rest. His friends paid for him for the evening. But he didn't make me do anything, not-not like the others. We just talked, we talked for hours. He said he'd come back and see me again and he'd bring me a phone so we could talk and-and so I could call my mom." Marlene had a naively innocent smile on her face talking about this 'nice' client, which made Elliot grit his teeth a little bit.

Nice or not, and whether he'd slept with her or not the guy had spent the evening with a clearly underage prostitute and had done nothing about it. In Elliot's book that was almost as bad as if he'd actually had sex with her.

"I was so stupid" Marlene said bitterly "I told Carly about it when I got back and Amber heard and she told Uncle J and…"

A pause.

"And what?" asked Elliot and Marlene glanced at him a little nervously before looking back at Benson who gave her an encouraging smile.

"It's ok Marlene. You can tell us, it's ok."

"Uncle J gave me to Trey. Uncle J, he's scary but Trey's just… he's awful. He's in charge of us if we're bad or we break the rules. He…"

Marlene took a deep breath and said quietly

"He's the one who hurt me. I mean, he-he's done it before but th-this time he-he just wouldn't stop! He kept hitting me and hitting me and then he-"

Marlene stopped and choked back what sounded like a sob and at once Olivia was at her side arm round her shoulders as Elliot took a few steps closer in concern.

"Marlene, Marlene hey look at me, look at me." It was Elliot who spoke this time and both Olivia and Marlene looked up at him "Whatever he did, whatever he did- it. Was. Not. Your. Fault. And you can and need to tell us what happened so we can help you."

Marlene blinked up at Elliot, eyes shining with tears not yet spilled.

"Marlene" said Olivia gently "Did Trey rape you?"

Marlene let out a sob and nodded, burying her face into Olivia's shoulder and sobbing openly now.

And all Olivia could do in that moment was hold the young girl as she cried in the Detectives arms.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Liv" Fin said looking up as Olivia and Elliot entered the squad room "You get anything from our vic? Marls or whatever?"

"Marlene. And if by anything you mean an awful account of the beating and rape of a 14 year old and a bunch of first names and aliases then yeah we got something." Running a hand through her hair Olivia exhaled and said

"Where's Carisi?"

"Makin' a call. Turns out the girl who took Marlene to the Doc - he met her before back when he was in Staten Island."

"You're kidding! He didn't think to mention that?" Elliot said frowning and Fin responded

"He didn't remember her. Think it actually shook him up a bit."

As if on cue Carisi reappeared, trying to rearrange some papers stacked haphazardly in his hands.

"Got hold of an old contact at Staten Island SVU, he sent me over the paperwork from that case."

"Okay, so what have we got?" Elliot said and Olivia walked over to the board on which was currently tacked a picture of Marlene Rielle Garner's old mugshot and the CCTV still of the latter at her current age.

"Marlene Winslow, our vic, is a fourteen year old prostitute. She gets beaten and raped for forming a connection with a client, by a man called 'Trey' no last name as of yet. Now, it sounds like the guy running things is a guy Marlene called Uncle J. This Uncle J is the one who gave Marlene to this Trey guy, do we- do we have anything on that name in the system?"

"Nope. No hits at all." Elliot sighed running a hand over his head.

"Did Marlene know this guys real name?"

"Nope, just called him Uncle J."

"Any other names?"

"So far only Trey and Uncle J but we had to stop talking to Marlene after a while, she's still extremely fragile and she is only fourteen. We can head back later and see if she's up to talking more."

"Sarge what about this Rielle Garner? I mean she obviously knows something she took the girl to the Doc." Fin said and Olivia looked at the picture of Rielle on the wall.

"Carisi, you've got some kind of history with this girl, you and Fin try tracking her down. Bring her in as a witness if she's willing. She puts up a fight? Arrest her for the gun charge."  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
They had been driving around for over an hour when Fin finally decided to bring it up.

"So you wanna tell me why you went ghost white when Cauley told you, you knew this girl?"

Carisi looked over at Fin as he spoke and sighed.

"I…Look I know I was not the best Detective when I got here, especially for SVU. Which means I was even worse back in Staten Island. I couldn't even remember this girl's face when I first saw her, how bad is that?"

"Man we see so many vics walk in and out, you really think any of us remember them all? Don't beat yourself up about it." Fin said as he steered the car round the corner.

"I know but I- Fin, Fin stop!"

"What?" Fin said as he stopped the car and Carisi pointed down a narrow side street.

"There! That's her, that's Rielle!"

Down in a small dimly lit area at the end of the street was a girl, with a bottle in one hand and what was clearly a joint in the other.

"Think she's gonna run?" Carisi said as they got out of the car.

"Don't know. But I aint in the mood to chase her. Keep your shield covered til we talk to her."

As they approached, Carisi observed the girl. Now that it wasn't just a black and white CCTV image he could see that her hair was not black but brown, with several blue streaks through it. Her skin was tan but there were dark circles under her caramel eyes, and she looked far older than her eighteen years. Tired and drained.

She looked up as they got close and at once a clearly rehearsed, sultry smile slipped onto her face.

"Hola, you guys lookin' to party?" she said.

"Yeah. Think you can hook my boy up? Had a rough couple days and he needs a bit of…company." Fin said easily, clapping Carisi on the shoulder.

"I know lotsa girls who can show you both a good time. Just gotta talk to my boss and I can hook you up."

"Actually I think he'd rather spend some time with you" said Fin and the girl let out a laugh that to anyone other than the SVU detectives would have sounded genuine.

"Sorry Papi, but you gotta make a special request from the big boss man for mi compañia. But… Uncle J got lotsa options for you amante."

"Yeah, not what we meant" said Carisi and in sync he and Fin showed her their shields and all the colour fell from her face.

"Hey look I ain't done nothi-"

"You really gonna play the picture of innocence sat there with a blunt in your hand? Don't worry we just wanna talk to you about Marlene Winslow."

And that was when she bolted.

Dropping her bottle and the joint she tried to sprint past Fin.

Tried being the important word.

At once Fin grabbed her, one hand gripping her right arm, one arm wrapped around her middle.

"Hey HEY don't think I wont shoot your lyin' ass! Calm down!" He shouted over her rantings in Spanish.

"¡Déjame ir, cerdo! Al diablo me dejaste ir! (Let me go you pig! Screw you let me go!)" she yelled still struggling violently. 

Carisi moved so that he was stood in her eye line and spoke loudly so she could hear him.

"Hey. HEY! Rielle, Rielle listen to me! Just listen. Look believe it or not I don't wanna arrest you but my boss says you can either come in as a witness or I arrest you on weapons charges and I don't wanna do that! So either you stop fightin' us or I put you in cuffs."

Rielle stopped shouting.

But the shout was replaced by a less than nice smirk and a sneering voice which said

"Oh you like playin' rough? Wanna cuff me up Papi, that make you happy?"

Before she spat at his feet.

"Think that's your answer" Fin said dryly and Carisi sighed and pulled out his handcuffs.

"I gave you another choice, Rielle. Remember that."

As they cuffed her hands and led her to the car Carisi could have sworn he heard her mutter in a dejected and defeated voice.

"Never had no choice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bam next chapter done.
> 
> Hope it's okay? I'm trying my best to keep close to how the characters voices are written on the show but put a little bit of my own twist in there so I hope it's okay.
> 
> Let me know what you think I love hearing from people.
> 
> Aaaannnnddd next chapter I will finally reveal the name of my fave character lol not that anyone actually cares hahahaha.


	4. You Were Nice To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rielle is interviewed and wont give anything up.   
> Benson falls short.   
> Elliot has to play bad cop.  
> And Carisi comes to the rescue.

"Rielle come on, we are trying to help you help your friend. Now there are people out there who want to put you in jail. You pointed a gun at a Doctor that does not go down well with a jury. Help yourself, help Marlene!" Olivia said imploringly, pushing a photo of Marlene's bruised face across the table for Rielle to look at. Rielle looked, shoved the photo away and said

"Nice try Puta."

Olivia sighed, stood and exited the room to find Fin, Elliot and Cragen all stood there watching through the one way glass and they turned to look at her as she entered the room.

"Think you're getting' anywhere?" asked Fin and Olivia shook her head.

"This girl is shut down. It's like she's conditioned herself or been conditioned to reject any form of help."

"Don't take this the wrong way Liv but maybe it's you." Cragen said thoughtfully appraising the girl in the interrogation room.

"Explain" Liv said and Cragen turned to face all the others.

"Think about it. If she's from the same group of girls as Marlene there's a good chance that she's been with this Uncle J guy for a lot longer. She probably doesn't know how to respond to anyone who isn't dominant in that situation, anyone who isn't in her face."

Slowly everyone turned to look at Elliot who glanced at them all and said

"Seriously?"

"Look at the plus side Stabler, you get to be all up in a perp's face without getting told off by the captain" smirked Fin and Elliot said

"Hey if I'm gonna play the asshole, so are you pal."

As Fin opened his mouth to respond, Carisi entered the room, a little out of breath clutching a file.

"Guys I think I know a reason she may be so unwilling to cooperate. Jamal Garner."

"Dad?"

"Brother" corrected Carisi handing over the file "Got this from social services."

"Jamal… wait you think this could be Uncle J?" Olivia asked and Carisi shrugged

"Maybe. Jamal was made sole guardian of Rielle back in 2012, if he is Uncle J and she's been with him for that long, we gotta assume he's been pimpin' her out and controlling her just like Marlene and those other girls she talked about." Carisi said, sounding more than a little disgusted by the idea.

"I mean it's a stretch just to base it off one initial but I suppose it's a possibility." Elliot mused.

Cragen had a quick scan through the file before nodding once and saying assuredly

"Okay, okay here's how this is going to happen. Carisi you've got history with this girl. It's not much but we're gonna use it and here's how..."  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Rielle was tapping her fingers against the cold table and jigging her leg up and down. The silence in the room was getting to her.

She wanted out.

She needed out.

The cops had no idea and she couldn't tell them, but she had to get out.

Suddenly the door flew open with such force that it made a loud bang as it hit the wall and the black Detective who had arrested her and a new unknown man with short dark hair stormed into the room, the unknown man in front.

"Get up." The short haired man said but Rielle didn't move, her mouth slightly open and eyes staring. That seemed to anger the detective who slammed his hands down on the table before storming round behind her saying "I said, GET UP! Get your ass up!" he shouted, as he pulled the chair out from underneath her causing Rielle to stumble and nearly fall.

"Wh-who are you?"

"I'm Detective Stabler, I'm the guy who's gonna tell the A.D.A not just to bring weapons charges against you but also conspiracy to commit RAPE and attempted murder!" Stabler yelled in her face and Rielle flinched. The backwards momentum of her stumble when Stabler had ripped the chair away had carried Rielle closer to the wall and as Elliot pushed forwards she backed up until her back collided with the stone.

"He ain't playin' Rielle, and that's after he busts your head wide open if you keep lyin' to us!" Fin chimed in standing just behind Stabler.

"sal de mi cara-" (get out of my face-) Rielle started to say but Stabler grabbed her by the front of her hoodie and pushed her back into the wall.

"You know what I think? I think it was Trey that raped Marlene but I think it was you that beat the holy hell out of her!"

"No!"

"Well you better start telling me another story sweetheart and you better be convincing. I'm gonna count to three and then you are gonna tell me everything or so help me I will END YOU!"

Rielle looked almost pained as she vehemently shook her head, biting down so hard on her lower lip she drew blood and Elliot was now so close to her face, he could have counted each individual eyelash.

"One"

"I can't!"

"TWO"

"I CAN'T!"

"THREE! RIGHT I'VE HAD IT YOU LITTLE-"

"Woah woah Stabler back off! Back off right now!"

Rielle opened her eyes, from where she had squeezed them shut to see the other Detective who'd arrested her pulling Detective Stabler away from her, the latter with a furious look on his face.

"Take a walk! Both of you!" said the other Detective and both Tutuola and Stabler glared at her before leaving the room.

"I'm sorry about that. Honestly. Stabler can be a hot-head. Sit down, please."

Eying him warily, Rielle returned to her seat and the man sat opposite her.

"I'm Detective Carisi. Sonny if you like. Think we can talk?"

All Carisi got was a shrug in response.

"Rielle, I'm not like Detective Stabler or Tutuola. I don't think you hurt Marlene or wanted anything to happen to her. I think you-"

But he was interrupted

"I remember you."  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Scarily convincing Elliot" said Olivia as Fin and Elliot exited the room.

"Just doin' my part as the resident asshole" he quipped back before turning to Cragen and saying "You better let Carisi know he shouldn't get used to pushing me around like that."  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"I remember you"

"You do?" Carisi said a little uneasily, unsure about where this would go.

"Yeah. You were nice to me." The corner of Rielle's mouth twitched like she wanted to smile but couldn't, then her brows contracted in a frown and she said sharply "They know don't they? That why they send you in here? Try an' get in my head?!"

"Yes, they know we met before but I asked to come in here. Rielle, I-" Carisi paused for a minute like he was making a choice.

Decision made he took a breath and then started on a tact that had Cragen, outside the room, go

"What is he doing?"  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Rielle I… I know you said I was nice to you but… I think I failed you. I failed you back in Staten Island and I know that because if I hadn't you wouldn't be sat here right now. And for that I am truly sorry. But I don't wanna fail you again. And I don't wanna fail Marlene. You both deserve justice for what's been done to both of you, but more than that you deserve to be safe and looked after. Now there's only so much I can do about the second two, but helping you get justice for yourself? For Marlene? That's my job. But you gotta be honest with me."

Rielle's stony face flickered for just a second.

For a just a second Carisi saw the pain and the turmoil in her eyes.

For just a second he saw the fear.

For just a second he saw the scared kid sat in front of him, not the unfeeling chola she pretended to be.

But then it was gone.

Rielle sniffed, folded her arms and said with an obvious break in her voice.

"I can't."  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"She wants to boss. She wants to help but she's been in this way too long, she's too scared." Carisi said forlornly as he exited the room and walked into Cragen's office.

"What's our play now?" asked Olivia and Cragen appraised Rielle through the one way glass, saying

"She's forcing our hand. Let's see if the prospect of being charged changes her tune."

He turned back to the detectives.

"Someone call Barba."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEY I CAN FINALLY BRING MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER INTO THIS STORY!
> 
> I hope you liked it, if you did let me know, if you didn't tell me how to make it better, I love hearing from readers!
> 
> More soon.
> 
> Geronimo xx


	5. Mr Abogado

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain Mr Rafael Barba joins the party.   
> Olivia Benson recalls a painful case to impart some wisdom on Sonny Carisi.

Rafael Barba swept into Cragen's office, suit sharp, hair slick and a deep frown creasing his handsome face.

"Counsellor" Carisi nodded in greeting from where he was leaning against the wall, a nod which Barba returned with a slight incline of his head.

"So" he said, at once all business "This is about the girls from the Grace and Mercy Clinic? What am I looking at?"

"Okay so, early this morning, Rielle Garner" Benson gestured through the observation window at Rielle who was sitting with her head lying on the table "Eighteen years old, takes our victim, fourteen year old Marlene Winslow to Grace and Mercy Clinic and forces one of the doctors to administer medical care to Marlene at gunpoint. The doctor cant fix everything so when he tells Rielle that, she tells him to call and ambulance and then takes off. Marlene gets taken to hospital where it is discovered that she has been raped and beaten where she suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung, arm fractures, wrist fractures, facial bruising and several deep cuts along her abdomen. Now Marlene is a prostitute who answers to a man called Trey, no last name. Now Trey is the one who assaulted Marlene but the order came from someone Marlene calls Uncle J. Working theory at the moment is that 'Uncle J' could be Rielle's older brother Jamal Garner. But she says she cant talk to us."

"Can't or wont?" Barba said with an eyebrow raised and Liv shrugged. Carisi cut in

"Counsellor I met this girl, back in Staten Island, 2015. From what I remember there's no way she's capable of being involved with what happened to Marlene. My guess is she's a victim too."

"I'd say she's more than capable Detective, she held man at gunpoint. And victim or not, she's possibly withholding evidence about the rape and assault of a fourteen year old!" Barba said and Carisi looked slightly wounded, so the A.D.A changed his tone and said "Three years is a long time Carisi, especially for someone in that life. People change. But, more to the point, why am I here?"

"We figured the A.D.A layin' out the charges to her may help scare her into talkin'." Fin shrugged and it looked like Barba had to stop himself from scoffing.

"Seriously? Me? I'm your best chance at scaring an eighteen year old hooker into telling the truth? Seems like a bit of a hail Mary doesn't it?"

"Are you going to help us or not Counsellor?"  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"The hell are you?"

"Miss Garner, I'm A.D.A Rafael Barba and you are looking at serious prison time for kidnapping, assault and accessory to rape. Those are all felonies."

"Aguanta gilipollas! (Hold up asshole!) First of all I di'nt assault nobody and you cant prove I did!" Rielle had gotten up from her chair as soon as Barba had entered the room and she was glaring at the A.D.A with her fists balled up.

"Get your ass back in that chair!" Fin barked but Rielle just flipped him off and snapped

"Muérdeme!" (Bite me!)

"Rielle. Rielle sit down." Carisi walked round the table and leant against the wall behind Rielle's chair, his the right corner of his mouth twitching into a half, crooked, reassuring smile.

Taking three deep breaths, hands trembling, Rielle flopped back down into the chair.

"Say for just one moment that you're right and I can't indict you on the assault and conspiracy charges. We have you on video and an eye witness who puts you in that doctor's office with a loaded gun that you used to hold Dr Linden hosta - sorry did I say something amusing to you?" Barba interrupted himself as he saw a small smirk flash across Rielle's face.

"Gun wasn't real Señor Barba"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The. Gun. Was. Not. Real. Can tell you where to find it if you want." Rielle said slowly "You got nothin' on me Mr abogado (lawyer). You gonna let me go now?"  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Liv!" It was Elliot who was walking towards her, a report in his hands.

"What is it?" Liv asked as Barba looked up from where he was examining the case file.

"They found the gun on Tavers Street right where she said it was. And she was tellin' the truth too, it was fake, her prints are all over it."

"Damn" Liv muttered as her eyes slid over the report "Have we got anything to hold her on Barba?"

"No. She's right, we cant get her on conspiracy, Marlene confirms that Rielle wasn't one of her attackers and with the new information about the gun, there's nothing to charge her with. Cut her loose and pray she has a change of heart." Barba said closing the file with a sigh.

"You heard the man" Liv sighed also "Cut her loose. But have Carisi do it, so he can have one last crack at her before she disappears."  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"So that's it? I can go?" Rielle asked mistrustfully as Carisi handed back the few items that had been in her possession when they arrested her. A lighter, a necklace with a snake pendant on it and a burner phone that TARU had gone through and found nothing useful on.

"Yeah you can go. Mind if I walk you out?" Carisi asked and Rielle shot him a curious look before shrugging and saying

"seguro, creo (Sure I guess)"

The detective and the girl walked out of the precinct in silence, until they reached the street. When they stepped out into the cool air Carisi turned and looked down at Rielle, who pushed her brown and blue hair out of her face.

"Listen Rielle, I want you to take this" he said putting a small card in her left hand "It's got my number on there and-"

"So you really do wanna have some fun eh papi?" Rielle interjected before snickering at the look on Carisi's face "I'm just messing wit chu."

"You call me if you change your mind and want to help or you remember anything. If anything happens, or if you're scared or-or just wanna talk. You call me okay?"

Rielle took the card between her middle and index finger and examined it with a furrowed brow for a moment and a look of slight surprise at his offer. The look vanished quickly and she jutted her chin out and shrugged one shoulder.

"Won't need to call you."

And she turned and walked away.

But it didn't go unnoticed by the Detective that as she sauntered away from him...

...she slipped the card into her pocket.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Carisi? You're still here?"

"Paperwork Sarge" Carisi said to Liv who was stood by his desk, a tired and poor attempt at a smile briefly crossing his face, before a frown came back onto his brow.

"Are you okay Carisi?" Liv asked, with a slight frown of her own and Carisi leant back in his chair with a sigh.

"This case is just weighin' on me Sarge. I'm fine, really."

Liv surveyed him for a moment before pulling Elliot's desk chair across so she was sat in front of him.

"Micha Green."

"Who?" Carisi asked and Liv sighed.

"Micha Green was a nineteen year old singer. She had overcome so much and was on the verge of having it all when I met her."

"Who was she?"

"An old case. Before your time. Her boyfriend assaulted her. Beat the holy hell out of her then choked her in front of three witnesses. None of them did anything." Liv, took her glasses off as she remembered the case "The boyfriend got her to forgive him, convinced her they were in love and that was just how things were with them. Even after he killed her mentor, a man she saw as a father, he was so in this girl's head that he got her to lie to a grand jury and say he didn't do it."

Carisi knew where this story was going, but asked anyway.

"What happened?"

"The boyfriend stuck to pattern. He beat Micha to death less than twenty four hours after she committed perjury for him. Her body was found in the water near their boat where they were on vacation."

"Damn" muttered Carisi "Sorry Sarge."

Liv gave a sad smile and then said earnestly

"My point is Carisi, sometimes we do everything right. Everything. We do everything we can and we do it all right and it's not enough. And that is hard and it's painful but we can't blame ourselves. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah Liv. Yeah I hear you." Carisi sighed and carried on "I just-"

But he was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing.

"Carisi." a look of shock then graced his face "Rielle?"

He listened for a moment before getting to his feet and pulling his jacket on saying

"Okay, okay I understand. Where? Yeah I know where that is. I'm on my way."

He hung up and Liv got to her feet as well.

"What's going on?"

"She wants to meet. Said she can't tell me over the phone, the walls have ears. I don't know what's goin' on but Sarge she sounds scared. I gotta go see what's up."

"Go. But Carisi?"

"Yeah Sarge?"

"Be careful."

"Always am Sarge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun duuuuuun!
> 
> What's Rielle so afraid of that she actually called Carisi?
> 
> Also YEY I FINALLY GOT TO WRITE FOR MY LOVE RAFAEL BARBA!
> 
> Let me know what you think, love to hear from people.
> 
> More soon.
> 
> Geronimo xx

**Author's Note:**

> So this story is going to go to some hella dark places.   
> You have been warned.   
> Let me know what you think.   
> More soon.  
> Geronimo xx


End file.
